The European summer hideaway you haven’t visited yet
Travel writer Ben Squires visits Vevey, a gorgeous Swiss town on the Swiss Riviera that provides the perfect destination for any traveller looking for a European summer hideaway.
Perched between Mount Pélerin and Lake Geneva, Vevey is one of the hidden gems of the Swiss Riviera, a gorgeous town that’s long been a haven to artists, writers, intellectuals and anyone looking to experience the finer things in life.
We arrived in the Swiss Riviera via the famous GoldenPass line train. Modern carriages have huge panoramic windows so you can savour every inch of the view, but we travelled in the elegant replica carriages of the Belle-Époque trains that used to run through these valleys, a classy throwback perfect for nostalgia enthusiasts.
The accommodation couldn’t have been nicer. We stayed at the elegant Hôtel des Trois Couronnes in Vevey’s old town, a gorgeous hotel with a history dating back to 1842. This place has played host to many distinguished guests over the years, and when you experience the refined, intimate atmosphere it’s easy to see why.
Lake Geneva really is something else, although one sight that at a glance may seem incongruent to first-time visitors is the giant fork protruding from the lake’s surface. Originally installed in 1995 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the Alimentarium, the nearby food museum, the fork was embraced by locals and despite being removed a year later was reinstalled in 2008. It’s now become a permanent part of Lake Geneva, and has held the Guinness World Record for being the world’s tallest standing fork since 2014.
A stone’s throw away is the famous statue of Charlie Chaplin, a one-time resident who in many ways has also become an emblem for the town of Vevey. The statue next to the lake commemorates the 25 years the actor, screenwriter and film producer spent in the gorgeous region, who was denied re-entry into the US due to McCarthyism.
If you’re a fan of Chaplin, make sure you take the time to visit Chaplin’s World, a nearby museum dedicated to the life and times of the legendary artist that’s set on the estate he used to live in. Walk through the impressive multimedia displays that chart the highs and lows of his careers, before exploring his mythical mansion and taking a wander around the grounds he called home for so many years when he was exiled from the US.
There’s plenty to do in and around Vevey, but if you have time to explore the region it’s worth visiting Chillon Castle in Montreux, the most visited monument in Switzerland. This medieval fortress inspired the likes of Jacques Rousseau, Victor Hugo and Lord Byron, author of the famous poem “The Prisoner of Chillon”. Just mind your bag as it’s a haven for pickpockets!
It is hard to pick a highlight out of the visit, but the buffet lunch and wine tasting at Domaine Wannaz is an experience that will stay with me for a long time. Located in of Lavaux, the largest contiguous vineyard region in Switzerland, Domaine Wannaz is one of the many daringly constructed hillside terraces that have been UNESCO protected since 2007 and the food was creative, daring and most-importantly tasty. Some of the best examples have been included in the gallery above (although you might not want to look if you’re hungry).
Whether you’re staying a weekend or a month, Vevey is an idyllic option for anyone looking for a European summer getaway. It might not be the first destination that comes to mind when you think of Europe in summer, but you won’t be disappointed.
*The writer travelled courtesy of Switzerland Tourism.
Visit www.myswitzerland.com for more information about Switzerland.
And visit www.myswtizerland.com/rail for the Swiss Travel Pass which allows holders unlimited access to all Swiss public transportation including buses, boats and trains, up to 50% off mountain railways and cableways and free access to more than 500 museums around the country.
Image credit: Sheila Moser